Breech mechanism for guns.



D. F. ASBURY.

BREECH MECHANISM FOR GUNS.

APPLlCATlON FILED NOV 24. 1914.

Patented June 6, 1916.

\ 3141mm fox Patented J 1mg 6, 1916.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

grwnfoc j who) D. F. ASBURY.

BREECH MECHANISM FOR GUNS.

APPLICATION FILED Nov, 24 1914.

1 1 85,965 Patented June 6, 1916.

6 SHEETSSHEET 3- D. F. ASBURY.

BREECH MECHANISM FOR GUNS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV124, 1914. 1 ,1 85,965 Patented June 6, 1916.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 4- D. F. ASBURY.

BREECH MECHANISM FOR GUNS APPLICATION FILED NOV. 24, 19l4 Patented J 11110 6, 1916.

e shsms-suzn 5.

witweoow UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DORSEY F. ASBURY, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, ASSIGNOR TO UNITED STATES ORDNANCE COMPANY, OF WASHINGTON, DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, A COR- PORATION 0F VIRGINIA.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented June 6, 1916.

Application filed November 24, 1914. Serial No. 873,755.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DORSEY F. AsBURY, a citizen of the United States, and resident of the cit of Washington, in the District of Colum ia, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Breech Mechanisms for Guns, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to breech mechanism for guns and particularly to apparatus for operating the breech mechanism.

The 0 jects of my invention are to provide motor operated means for operating the breech mechanism to open and locked positions, with rapidity, ease and facility while the gun is at any angle of'elevation; to rovide a structure wherein the power which swings the carrier is also utilized to impart locking and unlocking rotation to the breech plug; to provide motor operated means for operating the breech mechanism to open and locked positions which embodies the use of coiiperating cam devices on the plug and gun for preventing slamming and resultin rebounding of the plug and for translating the rotary movement of the plug to swinging movement in the operation of opening the breech, and swinging movement to rotary movement in the operation of closing the breech; to provide means for preventing rotation of the plug during opening movement of the breech mechanism after the coaction of the cam devices, and during closing movement of the breech mechanism prior to the coaction of the cam devices; to provide direct means for producing the movements of the plug rotating means simultaneously with and corresponding to the relative movements of the plug which are produced by the cam devices on the plug and gun; to provide buffer devices for absorbing energy stored in the moving parts of the breech mechanism in excess of that required to Operate same to fully open or fully locked position; and to provide an improved breech operating mechanism which may be mechanically or manually actuated without altering or adjusting any part of the structure.

With the above and other objects in view the invention consists in the details of construction and in the arrangement and combination of parts to be hereinafter more fully described and particularly pointed out mthe appended claims.

In describing the invention in detail reference will be had to the accompanying drawings whereinlike characters of reference denote corresponding parts in the several views, and in which Figure 1 is a rear elevation of a gun elnbodymg my invention, the breech mechanism bemg shown closed and locked; Fig. 2, a plan view of the gun shown in Fig. 1; Fig. 3, a view similar to Fig. 2 with the parts in the position they would occupy just as the cam deviceshave begun to coact in opening the breech; Fig. 4, a view similar to Fig. 2, with the parts in the position they would occupy when the breech mechanism is fully opened; Fig. 5, a section on the line 55 of Fig. 1; Fig. 6, a view similar to Fig. 5 with the parts in the position shown in Fig. 3; Fig. 7, a View similar to Fig. 5 with the parts in the position they would occupy just after the cam devices have passed out of cooperative relation in opening the breech; Fig. 8, a view similar to Fig. 5 with the parts in the position shown in Fig. 4; Fig. 9, a section on the line 9-9 of Fig. 1; Fig. 10, a section on the line 10-10 of Fig. 1; Fig. 11, a section on the line 1111 of Fig. 1; Fig. 12, a section on the line 12-12 of Fig. 1; Fig. 13, a section on the line 1313 of Fig. 1; Fig. 14, a vertical section of a fragment of the guide frame of the crosshead bar and disclosing the roller bearings supporting the tail piece of said bar and the roller carried by the tail piece; and Fig. 15, a side elevation of a fragment of the carrier.

Referring to the drawings A indicates the rear portion of the gun, B the plug, and C the carrier, which latter is mounted to swing on tr'unnions 20. The carrier C is constructed with a projecting portion 21 which extends beyond the inner end of the carrier and serves to provide clearance in operation for and house certain parts of the breech mechanism to be hereinafter referred to. The plug B is provided on its rear end with an extension 22 in which is mounted a pin which the roller 24 is adapted to coact in opening and closing the breech to prevent slamming and to effect translation of the movement of the plug as fullydescribed in U. S. Letters Patent No. 1,020,849, granted to George L. Smith and myselfMarch 19,

Rotatably mounted in the carrier C-is a shaft 27 the axis of rotation of which is parallel to the pivotal axis of the carrier. The' travels the tail piece 81 ofa crosshead bar 32' during rotation of the plug B. ,The tail piece 31 is confined between horizontal rollers 33 mounted inthe frame 29 and. carries a roller 34 adapted to engage the walls of the socket 30, while the end of the bar 32 remote from the frame 29 is pivotally con-' nected to the plug B at 32'. The bar 32 is grooved transversely at 35 and slidably and rotatably mounted in this groove is a crosshead 36 with which is engaged a stud 37 depending from the handle 28 adjacent the,

shaft 27. By this, construction it will be obvious that oscillation of the handle 28 and shaft 27 will reciprocate the bar 32 and impart locking and unlocking rotation to the plug B according to the direction in which the handle is moved. The walls of the socket 30 which extend transverse the axis of the gun and with which the roller 34 engages areiuelined rearwardly to a slight extent so as to permit bodily movement of the bar32 toward and away from the gun independent of the carrier during locking and unlocking rotation of the plug B, it being characteristic of the latter to moveinto and out of the breech chamber to a limited extent during locking and unlocking rotation without corresponding movement being imparted to the carrier.

Mounted on therear of the gun A is .a bracket 38 which pivotally supports a cylinder39having movable therein a piston 40 attached to a piston rod 41, thelatter being slidably engaged through the end of the cylinder adjacent the pivot of the carrier. The outer end of the rod 41 is connected to the free end of a crank arm 42 fixed on the shaft 27 and whereby reciprocation of the piston 40 will oscillate the shaft 27 to effect locking and unlocking rotation of the plug 13 in a manner that will presently become apparent. The cylinder 39 is provided at respective ends with ports43and 44 whereby compressed air may be successively introduced and exhausted to and from opposite ends of the cylinder to effect reciprocation of the piston 40 and piston rod 41. The cylinder 39 includes a hydraulic buffer 45 of the type described in my copending application filed June 30, 1914, Serial No. 848,229,

and engageable by the piston 40 during the opening movement of the breech mechanism to allow the latter to come to rest in fully open position without jar irrespective of whether the angle of inclination of the gun is great or small.

A mechanism is provided for controlling the movements of the shaft 27 during the coaction of the cam devices so that said movements will be of an-extent to produce such rotation of the plug as is necessary in the proper functioning of said cam devices. To this end I employ-a control arcplate 46se- This plate is provided on its under side with a groove including inner and outer sections,

47 and 48; The outer section 48 forms an .80 cured to the rear end ofthe gun between the pivot of the carrier and the breech chamber,

arcuatewall 49 which is concentric with the.

tion of closing and opening the breech and i in conjunction with the walls 49, 50 and 51 serves to control and prevent rotation of the shaft 27 in amanne'r that will presently, appear. The movement of the arm 42 during breech opening movement :of the piston 40 is limited by a stop 54 formed on the carrier C, it being noted that this stop also serves to prevent'rotation' 'of the shaft 27 during initial closing movement of the carrierG.

To cushion the carrier C at the termination of its opening movement I provide a suitable hydraulic'buffer 55 which is secured to the side of the gun A and is engaged by a face 56 formed on the carrier. vide a buffer 57 which is secured to the rear of the plug B and is engaged by aface 58 on the handle 28 during the final moy ement of said handle in the operation of closing the breech. This buffer 57 serves to cushion the handle during closing movement of the breech and to absorb any energy stored in the moving" parts in excess of that required to rotate the plug to fully locked position.

When the breech is locked the several parts of the apparatus will be in the,positions shown'in Fig. 2. To open the breech compressed air is admitted to the cylinder 39 through the port 43 'in any suitable-manner,

while air-on the opposite side of the piston 40 is permitted to escape through port 44. The compressed air-admitted to the cylinder through the port 43 will force the pis- I also proton 40 toward the opposite end of the cylinder. The initial portion of this movement of the piston will rotate the shaft 27 and arm 42 to the positionshown in Fig. 3 and this rotation of the shaft 27 will move the control arm 52 to the position shown in Fig. 6, and rotate the plug B through the medium of the crosshead bar 32 sufficiently to effect initial coaction between the roller 24 and cam face 26. As the roller 53 is now confined between the walls 50 and 51 of the groove section 47, and as a portion of the wall 51 is sha ed in harmony with the cam face 26, it will be obvious that the shaft 27 can only move in harmony with the roller 24 while the roller 53 is disposed between the walls 50 and 51. This movement is transmitted to the shaft 27 as the carrier is moved to open position by the coaction of the cam devices through the medium of the engagement of the roller 53 with the fixed wall 50. As a result of this movement of the shaft 27 the roller 53 will be shifted to the position shown in Fig. 7 and at the same time the arm 42 will move gently into engagement with the stop 54. As soon as the roller 53 assumes the position shown in Fig. 7, the piston 40 will operate to swing the carrier to full open position and during this movement of the carrier the roller 53 will enga e the wall 49 which prevents reverse rotation of the shaft 27 after the center of the latter passes to the rear of the connection between the arm 42 and the piston rod 41. In manually o ening the breech through the medium 0 the handle 28 rotation of the shaft 27 and consequent rotation of the breech block during swinging movement of the carrier after coaction of the cam devices is prevented by the stop 54 as will be obvious, the wall 49 performing no function during such manual opening of the breech.

To close the breech com ressed air is admitted through the port and exhausted through the port 43. The resulting movement of the piston 40 actin through the stop 54 will initiate the closing movement of the carrier C. During this initial closing movement of the carrier the wall 49 performs no function. When the roller 53 reaches the position shown in Fig. 7 the cam devices begin to coact to initiate the locking rotation of the plug and this rotation of the plug is harmoniously transmitted to the shaft 27 by engagement of the roller 53 with the wall 51, free rotation of the shaft 27 under the influence of the piston 40, when the center of said shaft has moved between the gun and piston rod 41, being prevented by engagement of the roller 53 with the wall 50. Immediately the cam devices ass out of coactive relation the roller 53 eaves the groove 47 and the shaft 27 is rotated by the piston to effect complete lockdevices to render the movements ing of the breech plug. In closing the breech manually the operation is the same except that the roller 53 engages the wall 49 to prevent rotation of the shaft 27 durlng initial closing movement of the carrler.

What is claimed is 1. In a gun, the combination of a movable carrier, a rotatable breech plug, coacting cam devices on the plug and gun, means for moving the carrier and rotating the plug, and means coacting directly with the plug rotating means during coaction of the cam of said means corresponding to the relative movements of the plug produced by the cam devices on the plug and gun.

2. In a gun, the combination of a movable carrier, arotatable breech plug, coacting cam devices on the plug and gun, means for moving the carrier and rotatin the plug, and a device coacting directly wlth the plug rotating means to effect corresponding movement between said means and the plug during coaction of the cam devices on the plug and gun.

3. In a gun, the combination of a movable carrier, a rotatable breech plug, coacting cam devices on the plug and gun, means for I moving the carrier and rotating the plug, and a cam device coacting directly with the plug rotating means during coaction of the first named cam devices to render the movements of said means corresponding to the movements of the plug produced by the cam devices on the plug and gun.

4. In a gun, the combination of a movable carrier, a rotatable breech plug, coacting cam devices on the plug and gun, means for moving the carrier and rotating the plug, and a cam device fixed relatively to the gun and coacting directly with the plug rotating means during coaction of the first named cam devices to render the movements of said means corresponding to the movements of the plug produced by the cam devices on the plug and gun.

5. In a gun, the combination of a movable carrier, a rotatable breech plug, means for rotating the plug, coacting cam devices on the plug and gun. a motor for moving the carrier and actuating the plug rotating means, and a device coacting directly with the plug rotating means to effect corresponding movement between said means and the plug during coaction of the cam devices on the plug and gun. a

6. In a gun, the combination of a movable breech mechanism including a rotatable plug, and coacting cam devices mounted independently of the plug for initiating the carrier, a rotatable breech plug, means for moving the carrier and rotating the plug, an a device on the gun coacting directly with said plug rotating means to actuate the same and rotate the plug as the plug enters the gun breech.

8. In a gun, the combination of a movable carrier, a rotatable breech plug, means for moving the carrier androtating the plug, and a cam on the guncoacting directly with said plug rotating means to actuate the same and rotate the plug as the plug enters the gun breech. I V

9. In a gun, the combination of a movable carrier, a rotatable breech'plug, coactin cam devices on the plug and gun, a sha t rotatably mounted on the carrier and operatively connected with the breech plug to rotate the latter, means for rotating the shaft and moving the carrier, an, arm on said shaft, and a cam element fixed relatively to the gun and cooperating with said arm during coaction of the first named cam devices to render the movements of the shaft corresponding to the movements of the plug produced by the first named cam devices.

10. In a gun, the combination of a movable carrier, a rotatable breech plug mounted thereon, means mounted on the carrier for rotating the plug, and coacting cam de-' vices mounted respectivelyon the gun and" on the carrier independentlyof the plug for operating the plug rotating means during movement of the carrier to closed position. 11. In a gun, the combination of a movable carrier, a breech plug rotatably mounted thereon, means mounted on the carrier for rotating the plug, and a device on thegun coacting directly with said plug rotating means during unlocking rotation of the plugto move the carrier in one direction, and also coacting directly with the plug rotating means during movement of the carrier in the opposite direction to rotate the plug. a 12.- In a gun, the vcombinationof a movable carrier, a rotatable breech plug, means for moving the carrier and rotating the plug, and a device between the plug rotating means and-the gun coacting directly with the plug rotating means to effect rotary movements of said means and plug as the plug enters the gun breech.

13. Ina gun, the combination of a movable carrier, a rotatable breech plug, a shaft rotatably mounted on the carrier and operatively connected'to theplug to rotate the latter, an arm on the shaft, a reciprocating motor pivotally mounted on the rear end of the gun and connected to said arm to rotate the shaft, and means for locking the shaft against rotation between the unlocking and locking rotative periods of the lug whereby the movements of said motor etween such periods will effect movement of the carrier.

14. In a gun, the combination of a movable carrier, a rotatable breech plug, a shaft rotatably mounted on the carrier and operatively connected to the plug,and ,means 16. Ina gun, the combination with a movable carrier, a rotatable breech plug, a shaft rotatably mounted on the carrier and operatively connected to the plug, and means independent of the plug and coacting between the shaft and gun for initiating opening movement of the carrier as the plug approaches unlocked position.

17. In a gun, the combination of a movable carrier, a rotatable breech plug, a shaft rotatably mounted on the carrier and operatively connected to the plug, a cam on the gun, an arm on the shaft, and a roller on said arm coacting with the cam during closing movement 'of the carrier to initiate locking rotation of the plug and during unlocking rotation of the plug to initiate opening movement of the carrier.

18. In a gun, the combination of a movable carrier, a rotatable breech plug, a shaft rotatably mounted on the carrier, means for rotating the shaft, an operating bar connecting the shaft and plug, and means for moving said operating bar bodily fore and aft parallel to the rear face of the breech plug during rotation of the shaft in harmony with the fore and aft movement of the plug due to the lead of the plug threads.

19. In a gun, the combination of a movable carrier, a rotatable breech plug, a shaft rotatably mounted on the carrier, means for rotating the shaft, an operating bar having one'end pivoted to the plug, a cross-head bearing embodied in said operating bar, a cross-head operatively mounted in said cross-head bearing, a crank on the shaft operatively connected to the cross-head, and means for moving the cross head bearing fore and aft in harmony with the. fore and aft movement of the breech plug due to the lead of the plug threads.

20. In a breech mechanism, the combination of a rotatable plug, a crank shaft, an operating bar having one end connected to the plug, a cross-head slidably and rotatably mounted on the bar, a crank pin on the crank shaft engaging the cross-head and means for rotating the crank shaft.

21. In a gun, the combination with a.

movable carrier and a rotatable breech plug, of a shaft rotatably mounted on the carrier and operatively connected with the plug to rotate the latter, means for rotating the shaft and moving the carrier, an arm on said shaft, a fixed element on the gun engageable by said arm at the termination of the unlocking rotation of the plug to lock the shaft against rotation during subsequent opening movement of the carrier, and means for locking said shaft against rotation during closing movement of the carrier prior to the initiation of the locking rotation of the plug.

22. In a gun, the combination with a movable carrier and a rotatable breech plug, of a shaft rotatably mounted on the carrier and operatively connected with the plug to rotate the latter, means for moving the carrier and rotating the shaft, an arm on said shaft, an element fixed relatively to the gun and engageable by said arm at the termination of the unlocking rotation of the plug to lock the shaft against rotation during subsequent opening movement of the carrier, and means for locking said shaft against rotation during the closing movement of the carrier prior to the initiation of the locking rotation of the plug.

23. In a gun, the combination with a movable carrier and a rotatable breech plug, of a shaft rotatably mounted on the carrier and operatively connected with the plug to rotate the latter, means for moving the carrier and rotating the shaft, a stop on the carrier, an element fixed relatively to the gun, and arms on the shaft engageable respectively with the stop and element be tween the unlocking and locking rotative periods of the plug to lock said shaft against rotation in either direction.

24. In a gun, the combination with a movable carrier and a rotatable breech plug, of a shaft rotatably mounted on the carrier and operatively connected with the plug to rotate the latter, an arm on said shaft, a motor connected to said arm to rotate the shaft and move the carrier, a second arm on the shaft, an element fixed relatively to the gun and engageable by the second armat the termination of the unlocking rotation of the plug to lock the shaft against rotation during subsequent opening movement of the carrier, and a stop on the carrier engageable by the first arm to lock the shaft against rotation during closing movement of the carrier prior to the initiation of the locking rotation of the plug.

In testimony whereof, I aliix my signature, in the presence of two witnesses.

DORSEY F. ASBURY.

Witnesses:

EDITH S'roWnLL, FRANCES M. QUIGLEY.

Uopiea 01 this potent may be obtained for live cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner at latente, Washington, D. 6." 

